Chelsea have enjoyed plenty of success over the years, with some outstanding players playing pivotal roles in Premier League and Champions League triumphs, while also achieving success on the international stage.

Unfortunately, much of the club’s most successful era coincided with the dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who monopolised the biggest individual honours for well over a decade. 

That left Chelsea’s stars struggling to get a look-in when it came to the Ballon d’Or with coming in the top 5 being an honour. Then again, it is difficult to argue too strongly against that when you consider the extraordinary standards set by those two.

The club has come close on the men’s and women’s side, and three past winners have worn the shirt, but none collected the award in Chelsea blue.

Near misses in the men's category

Super Frank Lampard is the Chelsea player who has come closest to winning the Ballon d’Or, finishing runner-up to Ronaldinho in 2005 during the most dominant period in the club’s history.

Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title with a then-record 95 points that season, with Lampard’s 16 league goals playing a crucial role in their success. His performances put him firmly in the conversation for the game’s highest individual honour, but he ultimately fell short of the top spot to a player enjoying a remarkable year.

Finishing second to Ronaldinho is certainly no disgrace, given the Brazilian’s incredible talent and influence on the game. Nevertheless, Lampard’s achievement remains the highest finish by a Chelsea player in Ballon d’Or history, and a reminder of just how close Super Frank came to claiming football’s most prestigious individual prize.

Didier Drogba finished fourth in 2007, recognised as one of the league’s most dominant strikers.That was in his 20-goal scoring season but should have come close 2009/10 season as he was on fire. 

 Jorginho followed in 2021, finishing third after the Champions League win and Euro 2020 triumph with Italy. That third-place finish shows how much the voters valued Chelsea’s success that year, even without a player winning outright.

Women chances

Chelsea’s best moment on the women’s side came in 2023, when Sam Kerr finished runner-up for the Ballon d’Or Féminin. It was a strong reflection of her goalscoring at the club and her standing as one of the world’s leading strikers. 

It was Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona who won it that year, another player that has rightfully dominated the Ballon d’Or stage with her brilliance. 

No Chelsea player has won the women’s award either, though the club’s recent dominance in the Women’s Super League suggests that could change. We could see Lauren James up there before too long, hopefully with a Champions League and World Cup to her name.

The winners who came later

Stamford Bridge has been graced by some of football’s biggest names, but Chelsea have rarely had the privilege of seeing a Ballon d’Or winner arrive at the peak of their powers.

Three players who have won the prestigious award have represented the Blues, but none claimed it during their time at the club. Ruud Gullit won in 1987 while at AC Milan, George Weah followed in 1995, also during his time at Milan, and Andriy Shevchenko completed the trio in 2004, once again as a Milan player.

Chelsea have therefore signed Ballon d’Or winners, but never produced one of their own. That remains a notable omission from the club’s history, particularly given the calibre of players who have worn the shirt. Frank Lampard finished runner-up in 2005, Didier Drogba came close in 2007, and Jorginho secured third place in 2021. The Blues have had players capable of competing with the very best, but the ultimate individual accolade has so far remained just out of reach.